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5 August 2016

Blog Tour: 'Coco Chanel Saved My Life' by Danielle F. White!

Rebecca is thirty-three years old, has a wardrobe full of tweed trouser suits and a boundless passion for the splendid Coco Chanel. She is romantic, dreamy, and madly in love with Niccolò, whom she is about to join in Milan, after a year being together long distance. But as soon as she gets to Milan, Niccolò confesses to her that he has fallen in love with another woman. So Rebecca finds herself in a city she doesn’t know and with a broken heart. How would her idol, the great Coco, have reacted? After spending several days confined to her flat, Rebecca plunges herself into the intense Milanese social life, and with the stylishness of her heroine, savours the feeling of being a desirable woman. Will she remain an eternal mademoiselle, like the ageless Coco? Or does destiny have unexpected surprises in store for her?I’m really excited to be part of the blog tour for Danielle F. White’s novel ‘Coco Chanel Saved My Life’ today! The book was released on August 1st by Aria and as soon as I was invited to be part of the blog tour for the novel I was really curious to check it out. I have to admit I am not the biggest fashion lover, but I’ve always been intrigued by Coco Chanel for some reason, so the title of this novel immediately caught my attention. I don’t just have my review to share today, but also a special guest post from Danielle F. White, so be sure to scroll down to read it and check out some of the other blogs taking part in the tour!Thirty-three-year-old Rebecca loves fashion and in particular her heroine Coco Chanel; even so that her close friends call her Coco. Rebecca is over the moon with her relationship with the handsome Niccolo, so she decides to move to Milan from Venice as a surprise, just to be with him. But as soon as she arrives in Milan, Niccolo tells her he is actually in love with one of her friends and doesn’t see a future for the two of them. With the help of her two friends Claudio and Emma, Rebecca tries to get back into things by focusing on her new job and going out with other men to hopefully find real love. Will she be able to follow in the footsteps of her heroine Coco Chanel and become the strong-minded and independent woman she wants to be, or does life have other things planned for her…?‘Coco Chanel Saved My Life’ is a light read that starts out with a basic and familiar storyline: the heroine, in this case thirty-something Italian Rebecca, is head-over-heels in love with her boyfriend Niccolo who then unexpectedly dumps her for someone else. Rebecca has just moved to a new city for him, so has to start all over again by herself in a new home, with a new job, and with new friends. The basic plotline of the novel was a bit slow-paced at times, but it kept my attention throughout and I was interested to discover what was going to happen to Rebecca and whether she would find the kind of love she’s longing for after the break-up with Niccolo.I personally don’t know that much about Coco Chanel or fashion in general, but I really liked how the author used her as a role model for Rebecca and how this had a positive influence on Rebecca and the decisions she made. While I liked the novel, I have to admit I was a bit surprised by the language at times. At the start of the novel another woman is referred to as a ‘fat cow’ and these references go on for quite some time, and I really couldn’t help but find this quite rude. I read that the book has actually been translated from Italian, so I am guessing some things might have gotten lost in translation, which is a shame. However, overall, ‘Coco Chanel Saved My Life’ is a light and captivating read and undoubtedly a great read to pick up for any Coco Chanel lovers out there!Rating:7,5/10

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Post by Danielle F. White!

I have always been a cynical woman who believed in intellect, in reason and in girl power...until a few years ago when I really suffered for love. I stopped eating and going out at night to ‘wash my hair’. All I thought about was my broken heart, so I started to use my blog (which until then had been humorous and satirical) to write down my feelings.

One of my readers suggested I read a biography of Coco Chanel to distract myself and BOOM! I came up with the idea for a plot. I realised that what was lacking for me and for women like me was not a man, but a greater dream, a more exciting way of life.

Rebecca, the protagonist of my novel, while chasing true love, discovers through the example of her heroine Coco Chanel, the passion for her job, the importance of spending time with good friends and the power of laughter – all whilst wearing her beautiful little black dresses and her fabulous shoes.

Coco Chanel saved my life, as well as Rebecca’s. Even if we are very different, we had a lot of fun together and I hope you will too.